Todd and Julie Chrisley will appeal their convictions
▶ Watch Video: Reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley face combined 19 years in prison
Todd and Julie are planning to appeal their convictions after being sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison for tax fraud.
The couple was found guilty of tax evasion in June, and on Monday, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta gave Todd Chrisley 12 years in prison while Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven.
One day after the sentencing, the couple’s lawyer said they plan to fight their convictions.
“Yesterday was a difficult day for the Chrisley family,” Alex Little said in a statement to CBS News. “But Todd and Julie are people of faith, and that faith gives them strength as they appeal their convictions. Their trial was marred by serious and repeated errors, including the government lying to jurors about what taxes the couple paid. Based on these issues, we are optimistic about the road ahead.”
Their sentences also include three years supervised release after prison and an order to pay restitution in an amount to be determined later.
“The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” prosecutors wrote. “The jury’s unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”
Federal prosecutors previously said that the couple should each be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
“A message must be sent to the Chrisleys and others that tax evasion is a serious offense, and that wealthy tax cheats who use personal companies to avoid paying taxes will face a substantial prison sentence,” the prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum.
The couple, who appeared on the reality show “Chrisley Knows Best” other spinoff shows, were indicted in 2019 on 12 counts, including tax evasion, conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a June 2022 press release that Todd and Julie Chrisley conspired to defraud community banks in the Atlanta area to obtain more than $30 million in personal loans prior to the launch of their first television show in 2014. The Chrisleys and their former business partner submitted false documents to obtain the loans, and then spent the money on cars, clothes, real estate and travel. They used new loans to pay back the old ones, Buchanan said.
